Early organ dysfunction course, cooling time and outcome in classic heatstroke

Purpose To describe the course of early organ dysfunction in a cohort of patients admitted in ICU suffering classic heatstroke. Methods Prospective observational single-centre cohort study with a 1-year follow-up. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Clinical and biological data of 22 patients were analysed. Median body temperature on admission was 41.1°C. Respiratory, circulatory, haematological, hepatic and renal function all deteriorated within the first 24 h of admission. ICU-mortality was 63.6%. Cooling time, serum lactate, serum cardiac troponin I and creatinine were significantly higher in non-survivors. Early ICU-mortality (within 7 days of ICU stay) was due to multiple organ failure. Late ICU-mortality was due to neurological disability. Conclusions Classic heat stroke may demonstrate a rapidly worsening organ dysfunction course leading to death even though cooling procedures and intensive care management are promptly started.